Sweden clinches berth in final

RIGA, Latvia — Sweden will play for gold at the 2013 women’s world curling championship.

A tap-back hit by Maria Prytz with her final stone in the 10th end scored the three points that the Swedes needed for a 7-5 victory over Scotland in the 1-2 Page playoff game at the Volvo Sports Center.

Scotland’s Eve Muirhead still has a chance at the title, but will now have to take the long road through the semifinal on Saturday.

In that game, the team from Scotland will face the winner of the early 3-4 Page playoff game between Canada, represented by Rachel Homan’s Ottawa Curling Club team, and the United States entry skipped by Erika Brown.

The losers of the 3-4 game and the semifinal will play for a bronze medal on Sunday morning, with the goldmedal matchup between Sweden and the semifinal winner later Sunday.

Canada hasn’t won a women’s world curling title since Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones prevailed in 2008 in Vernon, B.C.

Skip Margaretha Sigfridsson, who throws lead rocks, is trying to lead Sweden to its second world crown in three years and fourth in the past nine, although the previous three were won by foursomes skipped by Anette Norberg.

A year ago, Sigfridsson dropped the 2012 world final in Lethbridge, Alta., falling to Switzerland’s Mirjam Ott 7-6.

Scotland hasn’t had a champion in this event since Jackie Lockhart’s team triumphed at Bismarck, N.D., in 2002.